1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the care and/or making-up of the contour of the eyes, in particular the care and/or making-up of dark circles around the eyes.
The present invention also relates to the administration of bacterial extracts cultured in thermal water as an agent in an eye contour care and/or makeup composition, as an agent useful for reducing bags and/or dark circles around the eyes.
Preferably, the extract is derived from the bacterium Vitreoscilla filiformis, in particular the strain ATCC 15551, cultured in a medium enriched with water from La Roche Posay.
2. Description of Background and/or Related and/or Prior Art
The eye contour, due to its structure and its high innervation, is an anatomical site that is particularly sensitive to environmental factors (UV rays, pollution, tobacco, etc.) and physiological factors (fatigue, stress, etc.). The eye contour has a very important aesthetic role since it immediately reflects fatigue, humor and age.
In humans, the eyes blink a thousand times per day; the epidermis which surrounds them is very thin and not very well irrigated, all these factors facilitate the rapid appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles and bags. Furthermore, in order to allow significant mobility, the skin of the eyelids is extremely thin (0.33 to 0.36 mm, i.e., 3 to 5 times thinner than the rest of the skin of the face). Easily dehydrated and subjected to external aggressions, the skin of the eye contour requires particular care.
More or less colored or pronounced, dark circles are, depending on the case, the expression of great tiredness, a lack of sleep, a stressful life, or even an illness. Dark circles also have a vascular or hereditary origin.
The eyelids are the reflection of lifestyle: heat, stress, tobacco, UV rays, and facial expressions lead to multiple variations throughout the day.
These variations concern vascularization, hydration and turgescence of the tissues and explain the principal changes observed: swelling, dark circles, fine lines, etc.
The skin of the eye contour is very reactive due to its richness in inflammatory cells (mast cells); which is in fact a site subject to intolerance and allergy reactions.
Furthermore, the skin of the eye contour is particularly sensitive to solar radiation. Excessive exposure without protection can lead to redness, sensitivity, or even swelling via microcirculation disorders. In the long term, the skin of the contour of the eyes undergoes photoaging phenomena.
Surface vascularization is barely visible, since the capillaries have a low flow rate, but the vessels of the subcutaneous layers constitute a large vascular reserve which may vary throughout the day.
The dark circles may be temporary. They correspond to a transitory or permanent vascular congestion which results in hyperpigmentation of the skin. These are always accentuated by tobacco, the abuse of alcohol, stress and fatigue.
The formation of dark circles is especially due to a slowing of the blood microcirculation, especially during the night, that leads to an accumulation of blood pigments in the conjunctive tissue, especially visible on rising in the morning.
Furthermore, the lymphatic system, also slowed down during the night, leads to swelling of the eyelids. This swelling, associated with age-related slackening of the tissues, causes the formation of bags.
Dark circles and bags have always been considered as unattractive and it has always been a goal to mask them or even eliminate them.
In particular, there are makeup products which make it possible to conceal or attenuate, via an optical effect, skin defects such as spots, wrinkles and fine lines. Foundation compositions, for example, generally have the objective of unifying the complexion; they give a matte appearance to the skin that results from a light-diffusing ability at the surface of the skin. But certain compositions may have the drawback of not providing the skin with a natural appearance by giving it a powdery or even plastery appearance and of accentuating skin defects. And certain compositions may be drying in the long term and/or difficult to apply.
Need therefore exists to conceal or blur the defects of the contour of the eyes, in particular of bags and/or dark circles around the eyes, with compositions that make it possible to obtain a uniform and homogeneous complexion of natural, luminous and vibrant appearance, these compositions furthermore being very comfortable after application to the skin.